ENTRAPMENT OF BACILLUS LICHENIFORMIS CELLS IN ALGINATE GEL FOR PROTEOLYTIC ENZYMES PRODUCTION

Abstract

The use o f immobilized living cells as biocatalysts represent a new and rapidly growing trend in industrial biotechnology. In this work the immobilization in calcium alginate capsules, viability, and proteolytic activity o f a local strain o f Bacillus licheniformis was studied. After entrapment end drying, the number of viable cells has stabilized at 1,7 x 10s cells/wet capsule o f alginate and 3,5 x 102 cells/dry capsule o f alginate. The protease productivity was 17% higher in first batch in the culture o f immobilized cells (683 units/liter) than in free cell culture (580 units/liter). The protease productivity was very low in the case o f dry biocatalyst (94% lower than in the culture with wet biocatalyst, or 43 units/liter), due to the death o f a large amount o f entrapped cells.

Keywords

• biocatalyst
• cell entrapment
• bacillus licheniformis
• semi-continuous fermentation